We plan on heading to Bozeman from Yellowstone in June and staying two nights and then taking a flight out. What would you do with two nights and one full day in Bozeman? I%26#39;ve heard the museum is very good.
Thanks for any suggestions!
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I suppose it depends on what you like to do, and which half of June you will be there. There are many places for wonderful scenic dayhikes just outside of town, but you may have gotten your fill of that in YNP. The early part of June often has afternoon thundershowers, in which case a day at the Museum of the Rockies is perfect! MOR also has a planetarium with two or three different shows each day. Bozeman has a very healthy and active downtown with many fine bars and restaurants. A pre or post-dinner stroll around downtown, window shopping, people watching, and eating ice cream is fun. The downtown weekly concerts usually don%26#39;t start until July, though. You may also be interested in the American Computer Museum. Bozeman is a very active, outdoorsy, university town. The downside is that while there are many, many indoor events, concerts etc. going on Sept-April, during the summer, there isn%26#39;t much going on indoors. If you%26#39;re up to the drive, Chico Hot Springs in the Paradise Valley south of Livingston is fun -- they have a fine restaurant as well.
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Sounds great - I wondered about the computer museum, would an 11 year old enjoy it? He spends a lot of time on the computer.
I%26#39;ve been to the Computer Museum and it%26#39;s got a lot of information in a small space. I personally don%26#39;t think that an 11 year old would like it unless they are REALLY into computers. Not just computer games and blogging but the actual computer system. I think there are a lot of different things a child would rather do. Hikes around Bozeman are beautiful. Look at the Chamber website for events the days you%26#39;ll be there.
Hi! I%26#39;ve also heard the Museum of the Rockies is really good, always hoping to find time to stop in, but the weather has always been so great that we%26#39;d rather take a drive %26amp; check out the local historical places.
If you like ';Cowboy'; and old-timey things, you may want to leave the Park via West Yellowstone, then over to Ennis Mt on US 287, then to Virginia City, then back to Ennis %26amp; up to Three Forks, then over to Bozeman.
Hi-lites on this route would be a stop at the Quake Lake Visitor Center where (I think in 1959) an earthquake dumped the side of a mountain down onto a campground full of people during the night, burying them alive. There was no way to get them out in time, so a huge boulder that rode the slide to the other side of the valley bears a plaque for their memorial. The slide blocked the Madison River, %26amp; Quake Lake was formed from the floodwaters - the dead tree-tops can still be seen. It can feel a little spooky there, but very interesting also.
Virginia City is an old west mining town that has old-timey shops %26amp; stuff like that. The locals re-enact some of the wild historical events that took place back in the mining days. They come right out onto the street, shooting %26amp; yelling %26amp; it%26#39;s kinda fun. They used to have a shop where you could get your photo taken in old fashioned clothing costumes of the 1800%26#39;s - I%26#39;m pretty sure that%26#39;s still there. There is a Boot Hill cemetery on the hill above the north side of town. One of the road agents buried there is Boone Helm who was infamous for his wicked-mean nature %26amp; cannibalism. Another one may have been innocent but was hung anyway, and my Aunt who lives in Three Forks knows his descendents and she says they are all ';just the nicest people.';
Just down the road from Virginia City is Nevada City which is a ghost town full of old buildings, many which were brought in from other places, some restored. For a fee you can walk all around town, you can go into some of the buildings, and it%26#39;s quite interesting. The Nevada City Hotel has a two-story outhouse (I%26#39;ve never seen my husband more fascinated than when he first laid eyes on that thing). The back-tracking back to Ennis isn%26#39;t that much of a pain (nice scenery), and you might see antelope %26amp; deer.
A little ways before Three Forks is a group of old buildings called the Parker Homestead. I believe it is a state park, and there are picnic tables there (also might be rattlers, so keep a good watch out for them). You might actually like to spend one of your nights in Three Forks. We%26#39;re happy with the Broken Spur Motel which is in town, but my cousins prefer the Fort Three Forks motel out by the interstate. I%26#39;ve always wanted to stay at the Sacajawea Hotel - it looks so cool, and I%26#39;d love to see how it%26#39;s decorated inside - but I%26#39;ve heard it%26#39;s expensive %26amp; the rooms (water, electric, etc) need to be updated (which maybe they have by now). There is also a museum in Three Forks. A great place to eat is the Cattleman%26#39;s Restaurant - they actually have windows in the dining room thru which the livestock auctions may be viewed. You could even buy a cow if you want (what a souvenir).
We never leave the Three Forks area without a stop at the Wheat Montana Store %26amp; Deli. They serve mouth-watering pastries, sweetrolls, sandwiches %26amp; soups - all made with ingredients raised on the surrounding land. We usually stop here before going to the park to buy their bread to make sandwiches %26amp; rolls for quick breakfasts. The same family has owned this for several years, and their ranch is just north of town. Most all the fields of grain you%26#39;ll see from the store are owned by that family or their corporation. They offer several items for sale from cookbooks, souvenirs, ball caps, mugs %26amp; cannister sets to golden Montana sweetclover honey, and all the grains %26amp; flours they raise on their land (wheat, barley, oats, rye, spelt, bran, etc).
The Missouri Headwaters State Park is just a bit northeast of Three Forks, actually on the way to Bozeman if you take the old hwy, then drive a few miles north. That%26#39;s where the Madison, Gallatin %26amp; Jefferson Rivers join to form the Missouri. This is the very area during the Lewis %26amp; Clark Expedition where Sacajawea began recognizing the surroundings as her home before she was kidnapped %26amp; taken to North Dakota. I think it was just a bit southwest of Three Forks that they met up with her Shoshone people, and she discovered her own brother was then chief.
Between Three Forks %26amp; Bozeman is a very tiny town called Logan where you can turn off %26amp; head south to the Madison Buffalo Jump (another state park). The road used to be pretty rough (gravel), so this would be something you%26#39;d really have to be ';into'; to enjoy, I think. Basically, it%26#39;s a big cliff that the Indians used to drive buffalo herds over when they needed to harvest meat for the winter season. There is a path you can hike almost up to the top, but again watch out for rattle snakes. You%26#39;ll come across ancient buffalo bones, and maybe artifacts from the hunt %26amp; campsite, but remember that they have to stay there, since it is a state park.
If you go south of Bozeman on the Gallatin Canyon road (US 191), there is what looks like a driveway going off to the right just as you%26#39;re entering the canyon. The Gallatin River is on the other (east) side of the road. If you take that road, you%26#39;ll go thru Ted Turner%26#39;s ranch to a state trailhead %26amp; picnic area. There are no fences up for the buffalo, so they could be right on the road, and Mr. Turner is very strict about NO TRESSPASSING. That means you have to stay on the road when you%26#39;re going thru his land. Once you get onto state land, tho, there are hiking trails %26amp; it%26#39;s really pretty up there.
Another place you might want to check out is Big Sky, MT, which would be between West Yellowstone %26amp; Bozeman on this US 191. There is a church there called the Soldiers%26#39; Chapel which has a big picture window inside behind the pulpit offering a wonderful view of Lone Mountain (very similar to the Chapel of the Transfiguration down in Jackson Hole).
I love the area around Bozeman %26amp; Three Forks, so I%26#39;m sure you%26#39;ll really enjoy the last few days of your trip in this ';God%26#39;s Country.'; Have a super fun %26amp; safe trip!
Wow! Thank you for the incredible information, that is extremely helpful. I hope others find this thread so they read all of your great suggestions! Thanks again!
You%26#39;re very welcome! :0)
I forgot to mention that if you are flying out, you could always mail anything you buy for souvenirs that you don%26#39;t have room for taking back on the plane. My aunt from Whitefish has done that several times on her trips. You might find some things at Wheat Montana or the shops in Bozeman that would make great birthday or Christmas/Holiday gifts. There are also western clothing %26amp; saddlery shops in Three Forks %26amp; Bozeman - do you have a cowboy hat already???
I also didn%26#39;t mention the Lewis %26amp; Clark Caverns which are just west of Three Forks, but I didn%26#39;t especially care for them due to the fact that you%26#39;re so far underground %26amp; if all the lights go out, there are drop-offs on the pathway %26amp; the guides will tell you that if there were no lights after a short while it would be like you%26#39;re blind. Sounds like a nightmare to me. Several people have enjoyed their visit there, tho. The cave formations are kinda fascinting.... I%26#39;d just rather look for wildlife in the nice big wide-open sunny outside spaces.
Lewis and Clark Caverns are a lot of fun and your 11 year old would find them fascinating I am sure. The turn off from the Gallatin Canyon road referred to above is for Spanish Creek - it is a lovely site and sometimes you can catch the buffalo herd on the move and you feel like you are back 150 years. Downtown Bozeman has a lot of interesting and unique shops and smaller restaurants. If you are coming directly up the canyon from West Yellowstone to Bozeman - it is an amazingly beautiful drive by the way, there are several areas to stop and hike. Based on the time limits you have I might just head to Bozeman and enjoy the Gallatin Canyon area, maybe stop at Soliders Chapel and grab something at the deli at the little grocery store there is a short hike in Big Sky to Ousel Falls - they are really pretty as well. Museum of the Rockies is very interesting, make sure you see the Pioneer Homestead and blacksmith area outside. Enjoy.
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